Information security and privacy are crucial for EU growth
The EU has to establish cyber trust among citizens and industry to create a competitive EU based ICT sector, further strengthening the EU position, and at the same time support confidence in online privacy, said Udo Helmbrecht, Executive Director of ENISA, at its annual High-Level Event in Brussels on Monday.
The event provides a platform for the exchange of information on cybersecurity between members from the Commission, Member States, policy makers, industry, experts, and academia. Each year trending topics in cybersecurity are addressed which attract the attention of high-level decision makers and leading figures in the NIS community.
Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Günther H. Oettinger, emphasized similar aspects in his keynote address: “The digital revolution that is changing our society and economy brings enormous opportunities. Trends such as Internet of Things, mobile health, smart mobility, smart cities, will increase ever more the already high demand for security products and solutions in Europe.”
“Usually we look at cybersecurity through the prism of vulnerabilities and risks, but if we seize the big opportunities of the digital economy and grow stronger in this area, cybersecurity could become our competitive advantage. We need advanced cybersecurity solutions to make our digital market trustworthy and fully unlock its potential. And we need to strengthen our own cybersecurity industry to compete globally,” Oettinger concluded.
Emphasizing the role and impact of ENISA in this European discussion, Udo Helmbrecht said: “ENISA through its established networks and studies – in sectors also supported through its work programme such as automotive, eHealth, IoT security – can achieve the potential value enabled by cybersecurity for the growth of the IT security market in Europe. In this environment, the legislative procedures currently in the works will have an impact on the realisation of the Digital Single Market. The Agency already supports the legislative processes (telecommunications package, eIDAS, NIS directive, and the data protection regulation). Hence, it is in the unique position to support the implementation phase and act as an advisor, providing strategic foresight in Committees and advisory groups, creating a strong Information security community: ‘together secure’”.